Interviews

You should know, my friends and family are a constant source of inspiration to me.

Awhile after I moved down to Florida, I was homesick and thinking how cool my family and friends are. They’re the type of people who have incredible talents and hobbies, know how to hold an interesting conversation, and are incredibly generous. This got me thinking how I should be interviewing them, not only to remember later on, but share their insights and learn more about them. Please check back, as this is definitely NOT the total list of my awesome people.

Anne Heun—We met the first day in college. Her room was next to mine, and within a month, I was sleeping in her room more than my own. The next year we lived together again, and then later we moved into the stereotypical, (slightly) shady, post-college neighborhood in Minneapolis. What amazed me about her, is that she’s always keeping others in mind. The perfect ying, to my over-bearing yang. In college she dealt with my home-sickness, gave blood at every drive, remembered every birthday and volunteered for the local woman’s abuse organization. Luckily, she’s as smart as she is generous, because now she’s going to grad school to provide support to families coping with the possibility of genetic disorders in their babies. Read Interview.

Emily Cardella—She’s been known to teach me money-saving tricks, like getting day-old loafs of bread from Jimmy Johns and a pound of cheese to snack on, because she’s really resourceful and adventurous. I also admire her for her stamina for exercise (perhaps you’ve seen her out running with her basset hound in Des Moines); the places she’s traveled (besides one awesome trip I took with her to Colorado, she’s also been to Australia, and most recently, biking along the West coast and visiting me in Florida); and her baking skills (ask her to make frosting or cookies, she can do it off the top of her head); her compassion (when you meet her, it’s incredibly obvious how much her friends, family (including her dog), boyfriend and patients are to her). Alas, her well-rounded nature has puts her in my interview pile. Read Interview.

Graham Zrostlik—His influence on my life has even prompted my mother to ask if he’s my personal adviser. The answer being “yes”. I’ve known Graham since freshman year of college, and our friendship has grown tremendously in the past couple of years. I know if I ask him anything from personal finance to the effect of green tea on your health, he’ll have some insightful input. Unfortunately, I usually use his expertise in devising the perfect outfit for an occasion, or what the perfect name for a dog is (the answer of course being Patrick). Read Interview.

(My mom) Jeanne Femrite—From my mom I learned how manage with generosity and charisma. She’s the person to look to for a plan, for not only my immediate family, but also her larger family. Her career as an EBD (Emotional Behavioral Disability) coordinator at the local middle school is ever-advancing as she continues to further her education and strive for more. Not only that, but (with the help of my dad) she has been known to do quite a few home improvement projects, as well as throw a perfectly put together themed dinner party. Read Interview.

Linh Tran—She never dwells on any negativity, she makes herself busy with something else, puts on some party music and moves on. Not only that, but in the 17 years I’ve been my friend, she rarely let’s me wallow in my self-negativity either. After a particularly hard break-up, she (super-woman-like) busted in to my parents home and peeled me off my place in front of the TV. Then she set up an obstacle course complete with egg balancing and twirling around a baseball bat. By the end of the day we couldn’t stop laughing. Linh’s friendship has always been the main conqueror of my self-pity, so I thought for sure I’d need to interview her. Read Interview.

Logan Maust—It really only makes sense that I interview the person in my life whose always pushing me to be more in the moment, try new things and lighten up—my boyfriend of 5 years. I’m not going to get too lovey-dovey about it, but I will note that Logan is inspires me everyday to look at the brighter side of life. Read Interview.

(My brother) Ross Femrite—Recently I was with a couple of friends who were ordering diet pills online that were advertised for “the person who doesn’t have extra time to exercise”. This made me think of how my brother would take the situation. See, my brother is going to grad school, works as a bartender, has an active social life, plays rugby, and does triathlon. Because he has a work hard/play hard attitude and a desire to never cut corners, I know he would never be online buying a magical solution. So, of course I needed to interview him. Read Interview.

Ryan Wilkus—When I was trying to figure out who I knew who epitomized positivity, I thought about the cheerleaders I’ve known, or my life-of-the-party friends, but instead, my long-time friend Ryan Wilkus popped in my head as the obvious choice. Ryan is a man who has always stayed true to his passions (and his friends), plus—to my knowledge—has never frowned. I thought I’d try to figure out what makes him so happy. My guesses were: fresh air (he is currently living in his tent down in Mankato during the weekdays), lots of musical stimulation or large quantities of Svetka. Read Interview.

Stephen N0mura—Is one of my most interesting best friends. He gave up gluten a couple of years ago, and I looked to him to see how I could also regulate myself without starving. For this reason, and that there’s NO ONE in the world like Stephen, I made him my very first interview. Read Interview.

Tom Buckley—is the most driven and talented drummer I know, but what I always found most amazing is that he’s able to strive for his goals with a level of modesty and support for others. In high-school I remember him being the main proponent for my ambitions. He was always there to have lengthy discussions about whatever book I was reading, or making me CD’s that expanded my current list of favorites, or even supporting me when I decided to get back into horseback riding. I decided it was about time to catch up with him before Nylon does. Read Interview.

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About Erika

Erika Femrite started her design career as a child who preferred sketching comics, baking cakes in silhouettes of animals and drawing elaborate floor plans. Her passion helped her graduate from Iowa State University with a double major in Art & Design and Mass Communications. Through her internships, she become a go-to girl for her work ethic, varied and numerous work projects and out-of-the-box thinking. This spark led her to her current position as Online Marketing Coordinator at Bridgevine, Inc. She calls both Port Saint Lucie, Fl and Minneapolis, MN home, and when she’s not working she can be found in the yoga studio, making yummy chili or daydreaming she’s a famous actor on Broadway.

Your Life

Your life is your life. Don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission. Be on the watch, there are ways out. There is a light somewhere. It may not be much light, but it beats the darkness. Be on the watch. The gods will offer you chances--know them, take them. You can’t beat death, but you can beat death in life sometimes, and the more often you learn to do it, the more light there will be. Your life is your life. Know it while you have it. You are marvelous. The gods wait to delight in you. --Charles Bukowski